Have you ever wondered why creamy soups in a restaurant seem so much silkier than the soups you make at home? The secret behind that smooth silky texture is the humble chinois. A chinois, aka china cap, is a conical fine-meshed strainer which is a workhorse in the professional kitchen. It is used to strain stocks. All cream soups are passed through it, usually several times for extra refinement. Clam and mussel juices are "cleaned" by straining through the chinois. The egg mixture used to make pasta is passed through a chinois to remove any stray shells. All sauces are passed through a chinois. It's uses are infinite and restaurants employ the chinois to add that extra finesse to their dishes.
Prior to culinary school, I never had one, nor did I really see a need for it. Now it's an indispensable part of my kitchen. I use it every morning to strain my smoothie to create a luxurious texture. I was amazed to see the hundreds of berry seeds that were strained out the first time I used it. It's a must for home stock making. All my sauces are passed through it to remove chunks, impurities, and to create smooth delectable texture. They are not cheap. A good one will cost over $100, but with care it will last a lifetime. Make it a part of your kitchen, you won't regret it.
I went in to the restaurant last night just for the prep. The garde manger cook, a relatively new guy. was a bit behind so my night was dedicated to helping him with his very lengthy mis en place. Although a junior position in the kitchen, I think garde manger may be one of the most challenging. He is responsible for the amuse bouche, the cold apps, salads, soups, bar food orders, and terrines. On busy nights, the station is manned by 2 but we're in the slow season, so the Chef keeps only one guy at the station on the week nights.
While cutting away at the prep station, I asked the Chef about his old job prior to the restaurant. He had been a winery Chef at a Sonoma Valley winery. As we spoke, he mentioned that his successor at his old winery job is one of his best friends and he would be happy to pass my info to him for working special events! Wow! Another winery job and working for another Chef would be great. I didn't respond immediately because I don't want to bite off more than I can chew, but I also couldn't let such a generous recommendation slip by. So, I said "yes". This does not mean that his friend will want me or even need more people, but I was flattered that the Chef saw me worthy enough to recommend. This profession is truly incestuous with an extensive spider web of connections between the Chefs which is another reason to always do your best, present a good attitude, and refrain from burning any bridges because It could come back to haunt you or as in this case, it could reward you.
In the continuing tradition of keeping in touch with some of my LCB classmates, I was fortunate enough to meet with my classmate Allis in NY for lunch. I was lucky enough to catch Allis while she is home for the Holidays from Tokyo. we had also invited Julia but she was unable to attend due to travel plans. We decided to meet in Koreatown which is along 32nd St between 5th Avenue and Broadway. The street is lined with lots of Korean restaurants which makes it difficult to choose one from another. We decided on Kangsuh Restaurant. I deferred all of the ordering to Allis who is of Korean heritage. My only request was that we include the traditional Korean BBQ in the order. Allis ordered salads, assortment of vegetables marinated in various sauces, and dumpling soup. The table top stove was gas and not the traditional charcoal which Allis pointed out would have been better for flavoring the meats with that great smoky flavor. The meal was tasty and the service was good, but I have to confess we were too busy catching up to focus on the food. Although her job keeps her very busy, Allis has managed to squeeze in a part-time internship at a Tokyo restaurant to keep her cooking hand in the game. She provided me a small glimpse of what it's like behind the scenes of a Japanese kitchen. It's fascinating to see where we have all landed following our Parisian experience. Obviously driven by the passion for food, we have all managed to find our niche, whether full-time or part-time, despite primary careers and personal demands.
I dug up the above picture of Allis which was taken a year ago during a class party following our final written exam. Every time I talk with one of my classmates I think how much fun It would be to go back for Intermediates!
The Chef had asked that I come in to the winery for 2 days to work a special event. A family had hired the winery to host their family reunion for approximately 110 people. The Chef called in his team of chefs to prep on Thursday and work the event on Friday. I was assigned to prep and execute the 3 appetizers as well as cook the family meal both days. The three apps were dungeness crabs & mussels arancini served with crème fraiche and salmon roe, duck leg carnitas, and garlic bruschetta with broccoli raab & fried quail egg. Chef had laid it all out in a detailed list of assigned mis en place, and a time charted blow-by-blow execution for the event day. He had also assigned 2 of the cooks to help me with the final execution of the appetizers at service time. In all, there would be 6 of us there (including Chef) to execute the event. It was nice to meet a few new faces. It didn't take long for everyone to feel their peers out for their depth of experience, background, and jobs. I love the cooking profession for its honesty. It's quite difficult to pretend to be anything above your actual talent level because it will show immediately. So, I made no bones about being a complete novice.
Thursday was a cinch. Only 3 of us were tasked to come in for the pre-event prep day. Prepping was simple with the basic cutting of vegetables, shredding duck confit, blanching/shocking some ingredients, roasting garlic, essentially creating "kits" for each appetizer, and cooking the family meal. I made a pasta meal for the family meal with sauce that was already in the walk-in, threw in some herbs, charcuterie meats and served with bread. It was a sunny day, the kitchen door was open allowing the vineyard view to spill into the kitchen. We chit chatted as we prepped. I tried to conceal the whole airline pilot thing, but inevitably it becomes obvious that since I only cook someplace else 1 day per week as an intern I am either a trust fund baby, or I have another job. So a flurry of questions ensued about how and why. I steered it back to the cooking. It was a fun relaxing day. I dropped my guard and allowed myself to be completely complacent. My soft underbelly was exposed and I was a prime candidate for a sucker punch. I went home feeling confident and was ready to do battle the following day.
Friday proved to be a cold rainy day as I made my way over to Napa valley. I felt prepared, having reviewed my list of tasks for the day. I wasted no time as I jumped right in to my final prep and began checking items off my list. I took a glimpse at one of the experienced cook's list and I was really impressed that she could actually pull off such a comprehensive list. The Chef came over and said "Mark, the appetizers are where things always fall apart. Getting 3 hot apps out simultaneously for 110 people will be tough. Do your best". My thoughts were "he must know something that I don't know, because I am ahead". I looked at my list again and felt good. I grabbed some serving platters and staged the plating area for the apps. I went to the garden and hand picked some garnish herbs for the serving platters. I whipped some crème fraiche and folded in the salmon roe and some chives and salt. The list was looking good. I looked at the clock and realized that I had 30 minutes to cook the family meal. Once again, it was a simple plan using mostly things that were already in the walk-in. After knocking that out, I got back to my list. With only an 1.5 hrs to go, It was time to attack the items that needed to be cooked and held in the warming cabinet. It was here that the plan began to unravel. First on the list was pan toasting 125 bruschetta. The Chef specifically wanted them pan roasted and not oven baked which would have been much faster. "Toasted on one side and lightly toasted one the other with a slightly soft middle" were his exact instructions. I began using 2 large teflon pans for the job, but it was taking way too long. I switched over to the flat top. For some reason the flat top wasn't getting hot enough and this was where I fell way behind..I still needed to spread the bruschetta with the roasted garlic, fry 110 quail eggs and ring mold cut each one, fry the shredded duck confit, etc... The weeds were rising all around me...SHIT! I had chosen to skip eating the family meal to stay ahead and now I was falling behind. As everyone else returned from family meal it was like the cavalry riding in with reinforcements. Sweat on my forehead and what must have been a look of panic on my face must have given me away. George jumped on the quail eggs, Abby spread the garlic, etc..it was crunch time and the kitchen was in full motion. The next 30 minutes were a complete blur but somehow we managed to crank out all three hot apps, plate, and get them out. The Chef came over and with a smirk on his face said "what did I tell you, it always happens". My specific job for the night was done, I was now the extra hand to help with the remainder of service just as everyone had helped me with the apps.
The kitchen was completely cleaned and dismantled and retooled for the next course. This was the pumpkin risotto and pancetta with salad and a kids pizza plate. The chef quickly assigned stations for the plating, demoed one plate, and once again we cranked out 100 plates. Even the dishwashers were brought in for the plating. It was an assembly line. Again, the stations were wiped down and reconfigured for the main entrees. A halibut mounted on braised gigante beans and mussels surrounded by chanterelle broth or a roasted NY Strip and braised shoulder served with a wild mushroom confit and vegetables. Again the chef demoed, and we all plated and cranked them out. The scene was replayed with cheese plates and the dessert. And just as quickly as it started, it was over. Throughout the night guests came in late and wanted a course that had already been served. I was the guy who was in charge of making the straggler plates. Also, each of the above dishes had a vegetarian version. I was also the veg. guy who made all of those dishes.
It was a blur of a night. The 4 hours of service evaporated like it was 10 minutes. The Chef allowed a free- for-all run of some of the food that was left in the kitchen. Honestly, I didn't have much of an appetite. Chef told me to get out of there because I had started a little earlier than some others. I thanked him, shook hands with everyone and headed out to the cool drizzly night. Phewww. I didn't know how to feel. Had I done a good job? Is it always this crazy? I had mixed emotions about my performance. It was a huge learning experience. Where as my internship Chef gives me very little latitude, the winery Chef expects me to just run with it. It's a nice but difficult transition from restraint to freedom.
I had a magazine subscription to Bon Appetit for many years and one of the my favorite sections of that magazine was when a celebrity or a chef was asked what they had in their fridge. It provided a voyeuristic glimpse into the private food psyche and habits of that person. Most people have certain "go to" items always at hand. I have three such items that are always present on the shelves of my fridge. All three are universally used in almost everything I prepare in my kitchen. A picture in my last post gave away my 3 secrets. Here is a glimpse into the dark corners of my fridge.
Creme fraiche is nothing more than a sour cream with a higher fat content. It's often difficult to find in a store and mostly unfamiliar to novice cooks in the U.S. It is incredibly easy to make at home and has a few advantages over its cousin the sour cream. It is silky and luxurious, it does not curdle when heated (as sour cream), and it can be adapted for both sweet and savory dishes. It's a beautiful addition for sauces, it's a great accompaniment for potatoes, creamy soups, etc..When whipped with sugar or any syrup or honey, it serves as a heavenly topping for almost any dessert. I use a spoon full in my morning smoothie to give it a silky texture and to add flavor. Its uses are boundless. Here is how you make it:
Ingredients:
1 cup of whole cream
1 TBS butter milk
Mix the 2 ingredients and stir well, place in a glass or a bowl and cover with saran. Leave at room temperature for 24 hours. Then stir well and place in the fridge. It will keep for approximately 10 days.
Lemon confit are lemons that are cured in salt. The addition of citrus (acid) in food is necessary to balance flavors, but sometimes its use can be overpowering. How can the cook add that acidity in a such a subtle way that it's almost unrecognizable? This is where the lemon confit comes in to steal the show. By curing the lemon, it's juices are "pulled out" leaving the essence of the lemon flavors. What we're after here is not in the fleshy part of the lemon but the flavors in the rind. Once properly removed and cut, the lemon zest can be used in almost any dish to add a fresh subtle acidity. Add it to risotto, include in a salad dressing, incorporate in a pasta dish, add to mashed potatoes, add to a sauce, etc...It will bring a fresh very subtle lemon zest flavor to your dish.
Ingredients:
6 lemons
1-2 cups kosher salt
1 or 2 quart canning jar(s)
-Wash the canning jar, lid and gasket in boiling water to sterilize. Dry the inside.
-Dip the lemons in hot water to remove the wax and wipe dry
-Cut the tip off one end of each lemon. cut each lemon in quarters along its length without cutting all the way through so that it's still in one piece with 4 petals
-Hold the lemon and pour salt into it to fill it with salt.
-place the lemon in the jar with the petal opening up, and add enough salt to fill and cover it, then place another lemon(s) on top of that and cover with salt. Continue until you have used all the lemons and cover completely with salt.
-Place in the fridge and store. It's best to store at least a month before using. It will keep a year.
When needed, retrieve a lemon or just 1 petal of the lemon. rinse with water and cut off all the flesh. Then carefully cut off ALL of the white pulp from the skin leaving just the rind. Cut into a very small pieces and place in a small bowl. Bring some water to boil and pour over the bowl of cur rind and steep for 30 seconds (this removes all of the very strong salty flavor). Strain the zest and use as needed.
Garlic Confit. The term confit means something marinating or immersed in something else. In this case, the garlic sits in oil, hence garlic confit. Garlic can be incorporated in almost any dish to add that wonderful flavor; however, for some the flavor may be too aggressive. That is were the garlic confit shines. By cooking the garlic in oil, the assertiveness of its flavor is diminished and replaced with a subtle, sometimes unrecognizable delicate flavor. Also, since it's cooked, the garlic is now soft which allows it to meld with the food and disappear so there is no crunchy garlic remnants in the food. It can be used as a spread, it can be whisked into a vinaigrette, use to finish sauces, etc...Furthermore, once the garlic is all used, the remaining garlic infused oil can now be used for cooking or dressing to add that garlic flavor. Here is how you can make it:
Ingredients:
Several heads of garlic (approximately 40 cloves)
1 - 2 cups of a neutral oil like peanut or grape seed oil
-Peel the skin off the cloves of approximately 40 cloves and place in a small sauce pan
-cover with the oil (insure that all the cloves are covered)
-heat on med heat, adjust the temperature to achieve very small bubbles in the oil, you do not want to boil the oil
-cook until a knife can be easily inserted through the cloves. Approximately 30-40 minutes.
-remove from heat and cool to room temperature
-place in a container to keep all the cloves covered with the oil and store in the fridge. I keep mine for up to 2 months.
So, what's in your fridge?
Prior to culinary school, I never had one, nor did I really see a need for it. Now it's an indispensable part of my kitchen. I use it every morning to strain my smoothie to create a luxurious texture. I was amazed to see the hundreds of berry seeds that were strained out the first time I used it. It's a must for home stock making. All my sauces are passed through it to remove chunks, impurities, and to create smooth delectable texture. They are not cheap. A good one will cost over $100, but with care it will last a lifetime. Make it a part of your kitchen, you won't regret it.
